Panel



.May 9, rv1939.'.

' T. J. COLLERAN PANEL Filed March 1'7, 1938 Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED vs'rA'ri-:s

.PATENT ,0l-Fica PANEL Application 'mmh 17, 193s, senin No. 1913.323

4 claims.

This invention relates to a device adapted for use as a window, panel and the like.

The advance in the art represented by the in vention will be dened by the claims ultimately appended hereto.`

One specific embodiment, for purposes of illustration, will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view (a portion of which is broken away and shown in section) of a window embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary view, with portions broken away; 1

.5 Fig. 4 is a view similar to the lower part of Fig. 2 but showing a different form of construction. In Fig. 1 the portion broken away at the lower part thereof and shownv in section is taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, two sheets Iv of glass are mounted in substantially parallel planes. These sheets are generally rectangular in shape having, however, rounded corners as shown. The

. edges of the sheets are substantially coextensive,

adjacent and parallel.

The said sheets are mounted in an opening in' a rigid frame. For the sake of convenience,-I

shall refer to the center of the opening as the inner portion of the structure and shall use the words inner and outer and the like with relation thereto. This frame has an outerporter or i wall 3 and two side walls 5, defining an elongated channel having a longitudinal axis. This channel is coextensive with the edges of the sheets.

The longitudinal axis of this channel, the edges which extends into the space between the sheets .i

' the inner edge of this partition defining the edge of the opening in the frame. The smaller clliani-A bers thus formed are elongated. and have longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the rstmentioned axis.

edges of this partition Il shelves I2 extend from the partition il toward the walls 5, thus forming shoulders adapted. to support the sheets I in spaced relation to the walls 5, and also forming 60 the inner walls of the chambers. Yielding packing material M is positioned between the said shoulders and the adjacent portions of the sheets I, and also between the partition and the sheets, as shown.

55 The sheets are held in place by means of strips Between the inner and outer (Cl. 18H4) I8 of resilient and flexible material, which are provided with feet extending beneath the shelves I2, in a manner more fully described and claimed in the patent to Lytle Gale Hunter, No. 1,891,932.

'I'he use of these strips eflectively seals the space 5 I between the. sheets I and also effectively seals the two chambers I0, all in such a manner as to prevent those spaces from communicating with the atmosphere.

. When the said sheets are mounted, the column 10 of air or gas enclosed therebetween may contain that proportion of moisture which is characteristic of normal atmospheric air at that timel and provision is made in this invention for the said air or gas to be deprived of its moisture content 15 after it is confined between the sheets I to such an extent that there will be substantially no condensation or solidication of moisture when the panel of this invention is exposed to low temperatures. For this purpose the channels I0 are 20 provided with an effective dehydratingV agent. For example, activated alumina having particles of a size represented by 8 to 14 mesh may be enclosed in elongated porous or foraminous envelopes I8 and these envelopes or cartridges I8 25 are inserted in the said channels prior to the installation'of the resilient sealing strips.

Provision is also made'for free gaseous cornmunication between said channels and the conn'ed column of air between the sheets. Said free 30 communication may be established by numerous means, one of which is shown in the drawing.

A plurality of holes, having a diameter somewhat greater than the width of said partition II, are drilled therein down to a point which may be ap- 35 proximately adjacentI to the inner surface of the wall 3. This drilling causes slots 20 to be developed in the partition II and these slots constitute ports providing free communication between the channels @El and the air or gas conned be- 40 tween the sheets l. y

Instead of activated alumina, any other suitable dehydrating agent can be employed, e. g., silica gel, calcium chloride and other substances capable of xing or adsorbing moisture and hold- 45 ing it ina combination having a low aqueous vapor pressure. A

In accordance with this invention, a column of air or other gas is conned between two transy parent sheets, usually glass, somounted that the said column of air or gas is completely sealed ofi" from communication with the outside or surrounding atmosphere. It is unnecssary to use pre-dried air or gas because the capacity and efiiciency of the dehydration provided for by the present invention is so great as toI permit the use of air or gas having a normal moisture content.- After the air or gas having` this moisture content is confined and sealed out of communication with the surrounding atmosphere, the

Y moisture in s aid air or gas is removed by the deiio.

hydrating agent inthe channels I0. Ingress of moisture from -the outside atmosphere i'seffectively prevented bythe resilient sealing strips I6, which close the only openings from the atmosphere to the chambers and to the space between thesheets, as is evident, thev outerv and side walls of the, chambers being continuous, as plainly shown." Sometimes there is considerable diervence in pressure between the column of air confined between thel sheets I and the surrounding atmosphere, as for examplewhen the device of this invention is used asa window in a train pass--I ing vover the Great Divide. At the maximum height of this divide the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere maybe of the order of 11 lbs. per

squareinch as compared with around 14.7 lbs. per

A' dehydrating agent or cartridges I8 last'fa long time. Ifl and when they become exhausted they can however be replaced by removing the exible strips I 6, inserting new cartridges and replacing'said strips.

Numerous applications of the 'invention can be made. The drawing shows specifically a double vwalled window for use on a railroad train. For this purpose the wall may be provided with ex- .tensions 22 to provide for attachment to posts 24 by means Aof screws 26. y

In Fig. 4 is shown a slightly dierent embodiment of the invention, in which certain parts which are substantially identical with the parts shown in Fig. 2 are given the same numerals and their description will not be repeated. In this form, only one of the envelopes I8 is employed,

this being placed in the channel I 0 which willnormally be towards the inside of a window or the like. A means of communication between the channel I0 and the space between the sheets I may be provided by a channel 21 .through the adjacent shelf `I2 and by omitting the packing material Il for a short space back of the inner A sheet I and beneath its edge, as plainly indicated in Fig. 4. In other words, a suitable gap is provided in the packing material so as to provide a free communication between the space defined by the sheets I and the space within the rear or inside channel I0. The arrangement just described has certain advantages. One of these is that the envelope I8 and its contents are better insulated from theweather than in the construction shownv in Fig. 2 and therefore are less susceptible to` the .moisture in the atmosphere. Other ad' vantages are of course apparent to those skilled in the art. While the two channels I0 have been referred to sometimes as forming chambers, it will likewise be seen that the two channels together form a chamber, with the partition II extending across it.

While I have shown the ivention as embodied in a specic form, it is to be understoodthat various changes in details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A structure adapted for use as an insulating panel, comprising a frame having rigid walls deiining an elongated channel having a longitudinal axis, said walls terminating in edges substantially parallel to the axis of the channel, a rigid partition in said channel extending longitudinally thereof and dividing it into smaller elongated channels having longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the above mentioned axis; brackets extending from said partition and toward said walls respectively sheets of transparent material enclosing a column of gas therebetween and having edges substantially coextensive with and par- .allel to the axis of said channel, the edges of said sheets being mounted on each of said brackets and between said partitionv and channel wall adjacentthereto respectively and in spaced relation' to v`1said walls; resilient and demountable means sealing the spaces between the edges o'f said channel walls and sheets and confining said column of gas between said sheets out of contact with the atmosphere, said confined gas containing a predetermined proportion of moisture; a plurality of ports in said partition providing free gaseous communication between said smaller channels and said confined column of gas; and a dehydrating agent, enclosed in an elongated -foraminous envelope having a long and a short axis, being positioned in each of said smaller channels, the long axes of said envelopes being substantially .parallel to the axes of said channels.A

2. In combination, a fra-me having an opening therein, two spaced sheets extending across said opening, said frame having an outer wall extending across theedges of said sheets andJside walls extending inwardly from said outer wall to form a chamber, all of said walls being continuous and said side walls having edges adjacent the edges of said sheets but spaced therefrom, thereby forming openings leading directly from the chamber to the atmosphere, means closing said openings to seal the chamber and the space between the sheets from the atmosphere, a dehydrating material in said chamber and distributed lengthwise thereof, and spacing means between the edges of said sheets having a plurality of Aspaced ports therein leading from the chamber to said space between the sheets.

3. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, two spaced sheets extending across said opening, said frame having an outer wall extendengaging said shelves and side walls to hold said sheets in place and to' seal said chambers and the space between the sheets from the atmosphere, .said strips having feet extending into said chambers, the outer walls of said chambers being spaced a substantial distance from said feet, de-

hydrating material in said chambers between said Y outer wall and said feet, and means `forming communication between said chambers and the space between the sheets.

4. In combination, a frame having an opening therein, two spaced sheets-extending across said l opening, said `frame having an outer wall ex- Walls having edges adjacent the edges of said sheets but spaced therefrom, a partition extending inwardly from said outer wall and with said walls forming two chambers, shelves extending from opposite sides of said partition across the edges of said sheets and having edges Vspaced from said side Walls, strips of resilient compressibie material engaging vsaid shelves and side walls to hold said sheets in place and to seal said chambers and the space between the sheets from the atmosphere, said strips having feet extending into said chambers, the outer wall of at least one of said chambers being spaced a substantial distance from the foot of the strip therein, dehydrating material in said chamber between said outer wall and said foot, and means forming communication between said chamber and the space between said sheets.

THOMAS J. COLLERAN. 

